It's that time of year again...

It's the time of year when my life is full of diamonds.

Not the sparkly kind...the dirty brown and green kind that don't come out of clothing very well.

I speak of baseball diamonds...and softball diamonds.

It's the time of year when the notion of a family meal is lovely dream and a distant memory.

It's the time of year that I pick up and drop off and bring snacks to my children no less than 12 times a day.

And weekend getaways...funny joke!

It is also the time of year when my whole family can have a conversation for twenty minutes and I have no idea what they are talking about.

I have no idea what they are talking about because I was never a ball player.  Honestly I found the whole sport kinda boring growing up.  I went to Giants games and A's games in California with my family, but I had no idea what was going on down on the field, only that the guy with cotton candy was making his way towards my seat.  Cracker Jacks and Hot dogs...I get that.  Batting averages and free agency not so much.

My husband and kids...they are ball players.  All of them.  They play other sports too, but it is the life in the diamond that is in their proverbial wheel house.

My kids are coordinated athletes...a quality they did not get from me.

"Mom...why do you run so slow?"  


"Becasuse my legs are short."


"No...that's not true...that can't be right."


"Yes it is and don't talk back to your mother!"


For a while I played indoor soccer with a woman's over 30 leauge.  For two weeks before my first game I would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.  Durning my first game I ran out on to the pitch and fell down...there was no one around me...I wasn't near the ball.

I am no athlete.

But even though I'm not coordinated and I live in a family of coordinated athletes and it's humbling almost every day...I can and do find great joy from watching my kids do something they really love.

If you really love to do something with your whole entire being like my kids enjoy playing ball...there is nothing so beautiful, graceful or wonderful.

And it's totally appropriate to eat and yell while watching a ball game...two things that are in my wheel house!

Everyone needs to have something they love to do and something they are good at.

Those two things usually go hand in hand.

Isn't life miraculous that way?

 Play ball!